Crab Cake Recall as Life-Threatening Warning Issued

A crab cake recall has sparked concerns about an undeclared ingredient causing potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

A voluntary recall announcement shared to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website on Wednesday warns consumers that some County Road Seafood crab cake packages that were distributed in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly two years contained eggs without the ingredient being listed on packaging.

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The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services sent County Road Seafood a notification about the issue last week, prompting the company to issue the recall on Tuesday. The recalled products are 4-ounce packages that each contain two crab cakes.

While no UPC or lot codes were listed, the crab cakes were vacuum-sealed in clear plastic and sent to distributors and retail outlets under the County Road Seafood label from August 26, 2022, to May 9, 2024.

Country Road Seafood co-owner Richard Newman told Newsweek that ingredients were “not properly labeled on the packaging” but had no further comment. The packages did list blue crab, wheat and soy as potential allergens.

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It was not clear how the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services became aware of the undeclared ingredient. Newsweek reached out to the agency for comment via online contact form on Wednesday.

No illnesses related to the affected crab cakes had been reported at the time of publication. However, those with egg allergies and sensitivities were urged to throw away the product.

Unlisted ingredients like eggs, which are typically of little concern to most consumers, have the potential to cause the sometimes deadly condition of anaphylaxis in those who have related allergies.

Earlier this year, a recall was issued for Florentine cookies sold by the Connecticut-based Northeastern supermarket chain Stew Leonard’s following the death of a woman who ate the cookies without realizing they contained undeclared peanuts in January.

The victim was later identified as Órla Baxendale, a 25-year-old U.K. national who had moved to New York City to pursue her career as a “world class” dancer, according to NBC New York.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy that should never have happened,” Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement at the time. “Our condolences go out to the family affected by this incident.”

A crab recall issued by Alabama-based company Irvington Seafood earlier this week could affect consumers without any allergies. One-pound tubs of the company’s “Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw meat” product may have been contaminated with Listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria.

While no related illnesses were reported, 12 of 94 crab meat samples from the company tested positive for Listeria last week. Irvington Seafood has been accused of operating its food production facilities in unsanitary conditions for at least 16 years, with FDA inspections having found “the presence of maggots, flies, and roaches” and Listeria on multiple preparation surfaces.